My Mate, Not Yours
by Sexyvampire13
Summary: It has been some time now since George had attacked Levy and Gajeel. Now, the threat has risen again, and Gajeel has to make a choice...rather go with the greatly flawed plan of the Sabertooth guild and risk his mate, or allow this threat to live? Rated M for safety. (sorry, I am not good with summaries...)
1. Chapter 1

My Mate, Not Yours

Okay peoples! This is the second part of My Mate, My Everything..if you haven't read that yet please do so or I fear you might not understand everything in this...any who~ hope you enjoy and all reviews are welcomed...enjoy

Chapter 1

Gajeel could still recall the day that he had attacked his Shrimp, and every time he was swamped with both guilt, and pride. Guilt with the fact that he had been stupid enough to attack someone he knew that would later be everything to him, and pride for how he recalled her fighting spirit. Even though she had taken a beating from him, she had done everything she could to protect Jet and Droy, even though they should have been protecting her in his opinion.

Still, he could still see her kneeling over them, facing him with a glare that should have melted right through steel, but had merely caused him to laugh at the time. He had continued attacking, even though he had already won, and had moved closer to hover over her still kneeling body.

"You faeries are so weak. Look at you, trembling and still trying to protect those two unconscious losers behind you. You should have ran away when you had the chance." He growled, ending in his usual laugh.

"Solid script magic. Fire." She had suddenly screamed, and he had to admit, he had been surprised at the time. Although, by that point her power was diminished enough that the flames hardly bothered him. He was mostly surprised that she continued to fight, regardless of the fact that he knew she had some broken bones, and a possible concussion, but the fire in her eyes was still ablaze. He knew that had been what had originally drawn him to her, and knew that he hadn't wanted to continue on with the plan of hurting them, her, any further. So, he had attacked their pride instead, along with their guilds. So, as an attempt to see how strong she was, he had shackled them to the tree in the park, and drew the Phantom Lord symbol on her stomach. Then walked away, hoping deep within that he would soon see her again.

He hadn't expected Phantom Lord to be crushed as easily as it had been, and he surely hadn't expected Makorov to even ask him to join Fairy Tail. But, he had taken the opportunity, in hope to get to know the blue haired solid script mage more. Even though he figured that she hated his guts, and that thought was confirmed when he had walked through those large doors and she started to tremble in fear. The two men that were usually with her started glaring and yelling at him, only to be silenced by their Master.

Even though he knew it would happen, it hurt to see her flinch away from him in fear, and hide behind pointless objects. He never showed the hurt, but thought of everything he could do to make it right, that was when the thought occurred to him. Allow them to vent their anger about him, and so he had allowed them to bring him to the very tree he had pinned them to, and allowed them to attack. He raised no defense, and had started to feel hope bloom in his chest as realization started to dawn on Levy's face that he wasn't even attempting to stop them, and watched as her fear of him begin to stop. Once again he hadn't been expecting someone else to step into the ring, Laxus' volt of electricity surprised him more than anything, and with the new threat his dragon wanted to arise, but he held it back. He knew that if he attacked back, the fear in her eyes would return, and he would never get close to her.

So, he allowed the blond jerk to pummel him, and was even mildly surprised when Jet and Droy tried to convince him to stop. Even though, he knew it was pointless, because the man was too far gone with wanting to show off his true power. Still, when he directed an attack toward them and missed to go to Levy, he couldn't have stopped his body from moving even if he bolted himself to the ground. Before he even registered his own movement, he had turned his arm into a steel pillar, drew the lightening to him, and withstood the attack. He hadn't been about to let it hit her, because it was him that deserved it, not her.

Even after those events, and everything after that he had experienced with Fairy Tail, he would have never thought that he would end up where he was now. In his large bed, in his hut a distance away from the guild, and with Levy resting peacefully on his chest. It seemed so surreal to him, and almost dream like. He had never been this happy, even though he didn't show it, and never had he expected his life to turn out like this. After the mission that nearly ended them both with George, he had made sure to tell Levy everything about how he felt, and had soon mated her right after she had admitted that she too had the same feelings. It had been two months now, and he smiled as the memories of their wedding day, and night, came back to him.

He had Natsu be his best man, followed by Gray, and had both of him trying to calm him down as he first saw Levy in her brides dress. He had nearly went to her instead of the other way around, but knew better than to move from his spot, even before Natsu and Gray calmed him, because he knew that Makorov, who did the honor of handing her off, wouldn't have hesitated to smack him a good one. His woman was beaming at him the entire time she walked down the aisle, heading for him and her line of Fairy Tail women bridesmaids, Lucy being the Maid of Honor, and had quickly handed her the flowers with a brief hug before turning to him. Tears already glistening in her eyes as they faced the preacher that was to wed them.

After a brief sermon, they had exchanged vows, and were legally wed as husband and wife. The reception was held in Fairy Tail's guild hall, and he barely remembered anything about that time. But his memory was crystal clear about that night with Levy, and just the memories caused him to grow lowly and nuzzle his nose into her hair. Taking in her scent and hold her tighter. He couldn't believe she was truly his now, but he wouldn't want it any other way.

Opening his eyes, he stared at the woman pressed against him and smiled softly. Her blue hair spread out behind her, her face held nothing but peace, and her body was relaxed against his. They had both came so far, and he knew that there was more in store for them. But, he knew that he could handle all of it so long as she was at his side, and that he knew that she was safe. He still recalled the first challenge that they faced together, her moving in with him and Lily, which she had agreed to willingly, but her books were another issue. Most of them had been given to the Fairy Tail library, and a few had made their home to his shelves, and as a compromise for her getting rid of some of her books, he had allowed her to change anything she wished to make it feel more like home to her. The only thing she had changed was the color of the living room walls, which he didn't mind since it did make things slightly brighter than they had been. Although, he gave Levy the most credit for brightening everything around her.

A low sigh drew his gaze back to her, and he nuzzled closer to her as he sensed her beginning to awake. When those chocolate orbs opened he couldn't help but to smile and press a kiss to her forehead.

"Morning, Shrimp." He growled, watching as a breathtaking smile crossed her lips before she tilted her head back.

"Morning." She whispered, stretching slightly to capture his lips in a soft kiss, before retreating and stretching along his side. Causing him to groan as her bare breasts rubbed against his chest, and her stomach pressed against his semi-hard member. He gave a low growl as he saw a teasing look in her eyes as she rolled away from him and sat up, taking the covers with her to cover her chest.

"We need to get moving or else the others will worry about us." She stated, moving to slide off the edge of the bed, but gave a squeak as he gently grabbed her waist and hauled her back and down until she was beneath him. He leaned down, and nipped his mark on her neck before licking it as she groaned loudly and bucked her hips.

"They wont worry if we're a few minutes late." He growled, taking her lips in a heated kiss and allowing his hands to roam her body. He knew that she wanted this, he could sense her want, and was more than happy to give it to her. The guild be damned for now. He swooped down for another kiss, but found her neck as she turned her head to the side with a laugh and started to wiggle, slipping from him and quickly hopping up from the bed and quickly started getting ready for the day. He gave a whine and smirked when she gave him a teasing smirk over her shoulder before wagging her finger in a "no-no" manner and exiting their room. Giving a sigh, he relaxed onto the bed and inhaled her lingering scent before rolling off the bed and started getting ready as well. Looked like he would just have to wait until later to get her back for teasing him. He smiled and gave a laugh as he followed the path she had taken.


	2. Chapter 2

My Mates, Not Yours

Chapter 2

Levy hummed quietly to herself as she and Gajeel sat at their usual table with everyone else, and barely payed attention to the chatter around them. Natsu and Gray had started another fight, that Gajeel was keeping a close eye on, just in case one of their attacks strayed, and she was listening to Lucy questioning Erza how she managed to eat all that cheesecake and not gain an ounce. Everything was normal, and she couldn't be happier, especially since she and Gajeel were together and looked like nothing could separate them. Of course, she knew that George was still considered a threat to them, but didn't fear too much since they were hardly ever apart for him to attack from where ever he may have run to.

Not to mention, all the other guilds had been warned about him, and were on the look out as well. So far there have been a few sightings, but never anything close enough to capture him. She wasn't worried, especially since she had other things to worry about at the moment. Like how to tell the others about something exciting she had found out, without making Gajeel have a panic attack. She was so giddy, and was slightly surprised that none of the slayers had picked up on it yet. Since she knew their senses were sharper than anyone, and she knew that the change in her body should be noticeable to them. Even still, if they didn't know that was all the better for her, especially since she wanted to surprise everyone with it, especially Gajeel and Lucy.

Looking around she bit her bottom lip as she tried to see if this was a perfect time to tell everyone, and just hoped that Gajeel wasn't too upset that she hadn't told him alone. Clearing her throat she beamed as they all looked at her, even Natsu and Gray halting their fight to stare at her. Giving a giggle she face Gajeel, who looked confused, and straightened as she braced herself for what she hoped was going to be a great memory for them.

"Gajeel, there is something that I have recently discovered and want to tell you. I wanted our friends to be present as well, just to commemorate the good news." She stated, watching as his studded eyebrows rose and he nodded for her to continue on. Looking around, she smiled at everyone and then grabbed his large hand and placed it on her still flat stomach, before beaming up at him. She watched as he blinked for a moment, confusion written on his face, and giggled when Lucy gave a squeal. Having been the first one to figure out what it meant.

"Levy! You better not be joking!" Lucy squealed, causing her to laugh a bit more and shake her head.

"Nope, no joke." She stated, then turned back to Gajeel when he suddenly made a sound and felt his hand flex away from her stomach slightly, before resting softly against it. She met his widened ruby gaze, and saw wonder within them.

"You're...You're with my child." He whispered, and she smiled when the rest gaped at her, since they hadn't yet figured it out, as she nodded. She giggled as he sat back dumbfounded, as Lucy rose from her place and rushed to her side for a hug.

"Congratulations Levy!" She squealed, and Levy laughed as she returned the hug and then looked to the others. Thanking them as they congratulated her as well, and then looked back to Gajeel, who still looked shocked at the news. She smiled up at him as he looked at her, and then down to her flat stomach, giggling when his eyes softened and a huff of breath came from him. Soon, a smile was pulling at his lips and he leaned down and wrapped her in a careful hug.

"You're sure?" He asked, causing her to laugh and nod against his shoulder.

"I checked the other day and just got the test back. I'm pregnant. Around two weeks." She whispered, tears of joy springing into her eyes, that he carefully kissed away before nuzzling into her hair.

"Hey Everyone! Levy's Gonna Have A Baby!" Natsu shouted above the rowdy crowd, causing all eyes to land on her and Gajeel, right before a victorious shout sounded from everyone. Soon there table was swamped with people wanting to congratulate them, and soon the men had Gajeel on one side and the women had Levy on the other.

"Oh, Levy! There is nothing more exciting than having a child." Bisca stated, holding her daughter close and causing Levy to smile even more. Then Erza stepped forward, an uncertain look on her face.

"Do you have any names yet?" Erza asked her nervousness of the unknown situation causing Levy to laugh and shake her head.

"No, I'm not even sure what the gender is yet." She stated, placing a hand on her stomach and looking down.

"Are you hoping for a certain gender?" Wendy asked, and she shook her head.

"No. So long as it is healthy I don't care about the gender." She stated, blinking when Cana wrapped her in a hug.

"That child is going to be so strong! Having a smart and stubborn mother, and strong father. That child will be unstoppable." Cana stated, causing Levy to laugh and look over to where Gajeel was. Smiling as she noticed that even though they were only a few feet apart, he was watching over her like a hawk. She knew that it was in his nature to be protective of a mate, but now that she was with child, he would be even more so. Giving him a grin, she rested a hand on her flat stomach and then turned her attention back to the others. There was nothing, not even George, that could ruin her happiness at this moment.

"I say we have a round of drinks." Cana shouted, only to receive a slap on the back of the head from Lucy.

"Levy can't drink." The woman stated in unison, causing the woman to laugh and hug her again. Nothing could ruin this, and nothing could ruin her future now, Levy thought as she asked Mira for some tea and sat back down as the others talked about how they would spoil the child once he or she was born. Smiling she knew that they would keep their words on spoiling the unborn child, but knew that Gajeel would probably beat them to it.

"Levy. Congratulations on extending our family even more." Makorov stated, walking up beside where she was sitting and gave her a grand smile. She returned the smile and allowed him to easily lay a hand on her still flat stomach, blinking slightly as she suddenly sensed Gajeel standing behind them. She frowned when a slight growl came from him as he glared down at their guild Master.

"Gajeel." She scolded lightly, only to blink when Makorov used his power to become eye level with Gajeel and met his eye to eye.

"Better listen well, brat. You have nothing to worry about me, nor anyone else in this guild, hurting your mate or unborn child. So calm down." Makorov growled, causing the Iron Dragon Slayer to narrow his eyes before glancing at Levy, and she gave him a pleading look. Telling him slightly that no one would harm her, if anything they would all become more protective of her.

"It's fine Gajeel. Remember, everyone here is our friends. You have nothing to worry about." She whispered, watching as he relaxed and took a step back from them. Allowing Makorov to shrink back down to his normal size and replaced his hand on her stomach.

"I can guarantee that this child will be strong, smart, loved, and a great wizard. Just like his or her parents." He stated, giving her another smile that she returned with a faint nod. Then looked around at all of the other smiling faces around her, and knew without a doubt, that her and Gajeel's child would be loved. Nothing could make her more happy than she was at that moment.


	3. Chapter 3

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 3

Levy hummed to herself as she walked alongside Gajeel back to their home. After about five hours of being gushed over because of the news that she had given everyone, she had decided it was time to go home and get some rest. Looking up, she bit her bottom lip as she saw that Gajeel looked deep in though as he walked, and easily slid her smaller hand into his larger one, pulling him out of his daze and causing him to look down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" She asked, watching as his eyes widened and stopped them from walking.

"What brought that question on, Shrimp?" He asked, and she looked down as she traced the rough callouses on his hands.

"Well...I figured that you might be upset that I didn't tell you right away." She stated, peeking up at him through her lashes to see that he was staring down at her. Relaxing when she saw a smile spread across his lips and met his gaze as he leaned down.

"I'm not upset about anything, Shrimp. I'm only about possible names for our child. But, it seems that I'm not so good because every name that comes to mind makes me cringe slightly." He stated, causing her to blink up at him before giving a giggle and going on tip toe to press a kiss to his lips.

"We still have time, Gajeel." She stated, causing another smile to appear on his lips. He gave his usual laugh, pulled her close, and then quickly picked her up bridal style. She giggled, having gotten used to this action, and nuzzled into his neck as her arms wrapped around him. Sighing in happiness as he started forward, giving little growls as she ran her hand through his thick mane of hair.

"I should warn you Levy. I will become more protective, more so than I already am. Your are not only my mate now, but the mother of my child, it's a combination that can cause a Dragon Slayer forget who is friend or foe." He stated, causing her to look up at him for a moment before giving a smile.

"I kinda figured since it looked like you were going to rip Master's head off just for touching my stomach." She giggled, causing him to look down at her with a smile. She blinked when he gave a large sigh, and leaned against him.

"I should be able to control myself around the people of Fairy Tail. The women wont be a problem, but some of the males I'm gonna be keeping closer tabs on. Especially Salamander and Laxus." He stated, causing her to hum in confusion.

"They're Dragon Slayers as well, it's a but complicated, but they are the biggest threat to a mated male. Especially a mated male that is expecting offspring. They so much as looking at you in the wrong way could set off my anger." He mumbled, a troubling look crossing his face and she frowned slightly. Her hand going to her stomach and giving it a small rub.

"I can stay away from the guild if it will help." She whispered, blinking as a swaying motion indicated that they had stopped in the streets again. Looking up she saw him looking down at her in shock before watching as he shook his head.

"I'm not telling you to give up your friends, or the guild. I'm just asking you to help me whenever it looks like I'm going to push my luck like with the Master." He stated, causing her to smile and lean up slightly to press a kiss to his cheek.

"No worries. I'll be able to keep you in check, after a while my hormones will be getting the better of me. Then everyone will be giving me plenty of space, even you." She laughed, causing him to laugh as well and tighten his hold on her ever so slightly.

"You could be shouting at me all you want Shrimp. I'm not leaving your side." He stated, and she smiled and swung her feet ever so slightly as she gave him an innocent grin.

"Even if I bring out one of my purses?" She asked, watching as he tensed and gave her a shocked look. Only to blush a moment later as he realized that she had been kidding.

"Woman. I swear." He growled, lifting her higher to press a kiss to her lips before walking again. She laughed silently and snuggled into his chest, falling into a light sleep even before they reached his apartment.

Gajeel stared down at his mate, a small smile on his lips as he watched her sleep peacefully. He had been in shock at first when she had placed his hand on her stomach. Then, after focusing his senses on her for a moment, and detected the life within her, he had forgotten how to think. How to breath even. In all of his life, he had never thought that he would have a mate. Nor had he ever thought that he would be a father. Yet, there he was, standing in the doorway to his bedroom, his mate laying in the middle of the bed, and his unborn child resting inside of her.

Now that he was aware of the child, he could sense it within her, although he still wouldn't know the gender until it was born, but that really didn't matter to him. It was because it was his and Levy's child he would love it regardless of gender. Even though he saw all of this before him, he was having a little trouble accepting it. He was happy, but he didn't see how he deserved all of this. He, who had once attacked this woman, attacked her guild, fought with her friends, and done so many bad deeds in his life, could say that he was happy and deeply in love.

A shift of skin on satin sheets caused him to look up and see that Levy had shifted on the bed. So her peaceful face was facing the wall instead of the door, and he smiled. He knew that she was thrilled about having a child, he had picked up on it ever since she had stated the news, but he did know that no child birth was easy. Still, so long as she was prepared to face whatever may lay ahead, so was he. Although, he was going to be more fiercer and protective than she would be.

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" A familiar voice stated, causing him to look down to see the little Exceed that was his partner.

"Oh shut it Lily. I can't help it. How can such a man as me, have this much good in his life?" He asked, his eyes turning back to his mate.

"I'm not all aware of everything in your past, Gajeel. But, the man you are today is something to be proud and respectful of. Grasp what is in front of you, and leave the past behind. You have a beautiful wife, and about to have a beautiful family. Don't let your past doubts hinder that." Lily stated, causing Gajeel to smile and look down at the little black cat.

"Thanks for that." He stated, finally pushing away from the door frame and eased onto the bed. Wrapping his arms around Levy and pulling her toward him, watching as Lily crawled onto the other side. Smiling as Levy automatically took hold of the Exceed and pulled him into her chest.

"Honestly. Why does she do this?" Lily muttered, and Gajeel laughed softly, knowing damn well that Lily didn't mind it one bit. Giving a sigh, he nuzzled his own head into her blue hair and inhaled her soothing scent. Lily was right, he shouldn't worry about the things he had done in the past. What mattered now was his future with Levy and their growing family. He was truly a lucky man.


	4. Chapter 4

My Mate, Not Yours

A/N: 16 week time skip (Levy will be showing a big baby bumpy at this time)

Chapter 4

Gajeel stretched and searched for the warmth of the mate that was to be beside him. Only to snap his eyes open when he felt nothing but cool sheets beneath his fingers. Sitting up he sent out his senses and relaxed when he sensed her in the kitchen. Only a moment before the scent of breakfast cooking hit him, causing his stomach to grumble slightly. Smiling, he untangled himself from the covers and eased into the kitchen, watching for a moment as Levy hummed and worked with ease around the kitchen. Lily was sitting on the table, drinking a glass of Kiwi juice that Levy had no doubt prepared for him.

"Morning Gajeel." Levy stated, when she finally realized that he was standing in the doorway. Smiling, he moved beside her and pressed a kiss to her lips before rubbing a hand carefully over her bulged out stomach. He could still believe that it had been sixteen weeks since she had first told him about her pregnancy.

"Morning you two." He growled, smiling when she smiled and then sat down when she waved him away so she could finish cooking. He watched as she finished frying some eggs, bacon, sausage, and blinked when some iron popped in front of him. Smiling at her, he took hold of it and started to much on it and finished it just as she served them their plates. He waited a heartbeat as she took a bite and then followed suit. Wanting to make sure that her morning sickness didn't decide to kick in. So far it had seemed to pop up every now and again with no warning, and each time it usually gave him a panic attack. It hurt him to see her so miserable at times.

"After we eat, Mira says she has a surprise for us at the guild." Levy stated, and he blinked as he looked at her. A gift? From Mira? This probably wouldn't be a good thing. He swallowed and gave a nod as Levy laughed at his expression. Breakfast was finished quickly and they worked together to clean the dishes and put them away. Not long after they were on their way to the guild, Lily being hugged to Levy's chest as they walked hand in hand toward the guild. Once they reached it they saw that only a few guild mates were there. Cana was already downing a barrel of alcohol, Macao was talking to her, or attempting to, and Makorov was sitting on the counter talking with Mirajane.

"Oh! Levy, Gajeel. Good Morning." The eldest Strauss sibling called, and Levy waved as she headed for the bar and hopped into a stool in front of the white haired woman. Gajeel slid into the seat beside her and listened slightly to their idle conversations, hoping that the woman would just tell them what the surprise was already.

"Alright, I can see that you're both getting impatient about what I wanted to tell you. I signed both of you on a joint mission with Sting and Rouge from Saber Tooth." Mira stated, and Gajeel froze completely. A mission, with his pregnant mate, and with two other Dragon Slayers. What the hell was this woman thinking!?

"Uh...Mira. I'm not sure if that is a good idea." Levy stated, and he nodded with her, facing the woman behind the bar. Who was looking at both of them in confusion.

"Well, why not?" She asked, causing Gajeel to sigh and shake his head.

"Levy shouldn't be going on joint missions, because they usually end in some disaster or something. Not to mention she is pregnant and should only take the simpler jobs. Also, should we go on this mission, I would be more focused on her comfort and making sure both of the other Dragon Slayers kept a good distance from her." He stated, watching from the corner of his eye as Levy nodded her agreement. He frowned when the woman merely smiled and turned to Makorov, who gave them a pointed look in turn.

"It is a lead on George. We figured that the both of you would want to get him yourselves. Although, we will be having some of our members on standby if needed." Makorov stated, and Gajeel tensed as he registered those words. It had been months since the last lead on the bastard that had tried to take Levy from them, and he was more than ready to hunt the man down himself. If this lead turned into something, he could eliminate the biggest threat to his mate.

"I'll take it, but I still wish that Levy would stay here." He stated, only to blink when the blue haired woman quickly turned to face him. A dangerous look in her eye, one that she only got when she was willing to fight to get her way.

"You're not going without me. Last time you took after that man without thinking and nearly got blown up. I'm not going to let you do that again." She stated, and he glared down at her. He wasn't about to just give in on this one.

"Levy. You are with our child, it would slow us down, and it is a too great of a risk." He stated, watching as an all too familiar flare sparked in her eyes.

"I wont be a hindrance and with both of us we will be able to defend ourselves just fine. I am going, and that is final." She stated, and he gritted his teeth. Glaring down at her as she glared up at him. He was thinking of every possible way to make her stay, and was coming up with nothing. At least nothing that she couldn't counter. Giving a growl he relaxed his body and looked at her more calmly.

"I'll let you come on one condition. You listen to whatever I say. That means if I say run, you run. Hide, you hide. I'm going to be more alert with you around so anytime I believe there is danger around, then you have to listen to me. Not Sting. Not Rouge. Me. Alright?" He asked, watching as she relaxed as well and thought about it. Giving a sigh when she gave a nod of her head and gave him a faint smile. He gave a grunt, glad that they had come to an agreement, but still upset that she and the unborn child was going to be in the line of danger. That meant he was going to have to step up his game so that neither were harmed.

"When do we meet up with Sting and Rouge?" Levy asked, causing Mira to smile and pull out the mission sheet with the information on it.

"They have a game plan and have asked you to go to Saber Tooth guild to talk it over. All I have to do is tell them when to expect you two." She stated, and Gajeel sighed slightly when Levy looked at him expectantly.

"Go ahead and contact them. Tell them we'll be arriving around mid-noon into the evening time." He stated, standing up and waited until Levy was at his side and Mira gave a nod. Giving a nod in return he motioned for Levy and they headed back toward the apartment, he had a really bad feeling about all of this. But, if it got rid of George, then he guessed that it would be worth it. Although, he did know for a fact that if they did find the man, and he so much as looked at Levy, he was taking him down in the most quickest and painfullest way possible. He wasn't about to let the man lay another finger on his mate.

"Gajeel?" Levy's voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked down at the woman. She was staring up at him with those beautiful dark eyes of hers. He waited a moment, to see if she would say anything else, and didn't have to wait to long.

"I want you to do two things for me, will you do them?" She asked, and he furrowed his brows together. He didn't like the sound of this.

"Depends on what they are?" He asked, watching as she thought about it for a moment, and then gave a sigh.

"The first one is negotiable, but the second I want your response first." She stated, and he frowned as he faced her. Entwining their hands together as he looked at her, easily noticed that this was something that she wanted greatly and gave a sigh.

"Alright. I will do them to the best of my abilities. I will hold nothing back." He stated, watching as a small smile lit up her face.

"Alright. The first thing is that you are willing to trust Sting and Rouge when they are around me. I assure you Gajeel, they would do nothing to me and, if anything, they would ensure my safety just as much as you would." She stated, and he sighed as he gave a faint nod. That much he figured he would do, especially since he knew that Rouge would try to be helpful to her since he knew that she was his idol's mate.

"Second, should anything happen to send me into an early labor, you will try everything in your power to save the child. Even if that means losing me." She stated, and he stiffened as he even felt the blood within him freeze in his veins. That...That was asking the impossible! A Dragon could live without offspring, and would mourn only slightly at their passing. But, to lose a mate! That was soul wrenching and would most likely harm him more than any lethal blow. It would be something that he would never recover from.

"Levy...I..That would be..." He couldn't find the words to explain to her that her second worry would be impossible for him. There was no way he could tell her the pain that he would go through, that if anything were to happen to her, he would give up on life until he, himself, joined her in the afterlife.

"Gajeel. Please. I figure that it would be hard on you, but I don't think I could live with myself if you ever chose me over the child. To think, that I wouldn't be strong enough to not only protect our child, but also be so weak that I couldn't bring him or her into this world...Please Gajeel, tell me that if it came down to it, you would chose the child over me." She stated, and he started to grasp at straws. Because he knew, deep down, he didn't think that he would be able to make that decision.

"I wont allow it to come to that." He stated, carefully placing his hands on her shoulders, and kept his face hidden. It was bad enough that his body was trembling, there was no way he was going to allow her to see the horror on his face.

"Gajeel..." She started, but he cut her off with a violent shake of his head.

"No! None of that kind of talk Levy. You are strong in your own right, and you will bring our child into this world. Also, you will be apart of that child's life, as will I. Nothing is going to happen to any of us. That I swear. So, none of this talk." He stated, raising his gaze enough to capture hers, that way she knew that he was serious about this. Swallowing as he saw the sadness within her gaze, he straightened and brought her into a hug. Damn all of this! This was why he wanted her to stay in Magnolia, possibly with Bunny Girl, that way he knew that she would be safe.

"We need to go get ready." He whispered, pulling back and feeling his heart convulse tightly as he saw tears in her eyes. He had never meant to make her cry, but knew that with something like this, tears were inevitable for one of them. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips, and then carefully picked her up bridal style. Without another word they headed to their apartment and packed for their mission.


	5. Chapter 5

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 5

Gajeel sighed as they finally stepped off the train and into Sabertooth's territory, and looked around for any familiar people. Relaxing some as he automatically saw Sting waving from beyond the platform and Rouge standing a few feet away from the guild master. Ensuring that Levy was sticking close to his side, he started forward and eased a path into the crowded area so there was no risk of Levy getting jostled by someone.

"Man, this mission is going to be a piece of cake with three dragon slayers and a solid script mage. We'll bring that bastard down quick, and then you two can have your happily ever after." Sting stated, causing Gajeel to huff, any mission that members of Fairy Tail went on were never easy, or quick.

"We also want to congratulate you two. Mirajane told us the news that you two are expecting." Rouge stated, smiling at him then giving a respectable smile to Levy. He gave a nod and then shifted as he scanned the area, looking for any sign of danger since they were still in the open. It seemed that Rouge picked up on his uneasiness, for he quickly wrapped up the greeting and started leading them toward the guild. Gajeel easily arranged them into a position where Levy was somewhat in the middle of them, and therefore the hardest target to reach.

"So, where was George last reported seen at?" Levy asked, looking over to Sting who smiled and pulled a report flyer from his pocket.

"In our very own back yard. A few towns over some civilians caught sight of him and automatically contacted the guild. Supposedly they're going to try and keep him there so we will be able to capture him. Although, it seems a little fishy to me, so we devised a plan just in case it is a trap." He stated, and Gajeel watched as Levy read over the report. Her brows creasing as she read it and then frowned when she raised her head.

"Something wrong, Levy?" He asked, waiting as she thought a moment and blinked when she started to dig around in her bag for something.

"Something seems off with this report. I can't detect it just with my eyesight, but maybe my magic glasses can do something.." She trailed off as she finally pulled out the red framed magical glasses and slipped them on before looking back at the report. They continued walking in silence as she studied the two page report with the glasses, Gajeel both focusing on her and their surroundings, while the other two just focused on leading them n the right direction. When she sighed and removed the glasses Gajeel knew the message wasn't good.

"Well. Was there a secret message?" Sting asked, and everyone focused on her as they continued walking.

"George is in that town, but there is more to it than that. It is a trap, because George has that entire town wired to go off in a grand explosion. It seems that he had a civilian write this, hoping to lure us in with false security, but I guess he didn't think to read it with more than just his eyes. The person who he had write this, is begging us to just ignore the whole thing." She whispered, her hand going to her stomach in a comforting manner, and Gajeel quickly gave a short curse as he stopped. How the hell were they suppose to do this, when it was all one big trap?

"So, it was a trap. Good thing we came up with a back up plan." Sting stated, starting them walking again and gaining both of the Fairy Tail members' looks.

"What is this plan of yours exactly?" Gajeel asked, becoming annoyed when Sting merely laughed and continued to walk as the guild came into view.

"I'll tell ya'll when we get inside and you two get settled. But not before." He stated, and Gajeel frowned, not sure as to why the Light Dragon Slayer wanted to wait. The sooner they discussed the plan of action, the quicker they could put said plan into effect.

"Mostly he doesn't want to say it away from his guild mates. The ones who will slow down your attempt to kill him after you hear the plan." Rouge stated from the head of the group and the statement caused him to go wide eyes. What kind of plan did the Sabertooth leader have, that would make it angry enough to kill him? Then again, now that he thought about it, they knew how he would be around his mate and unborn child, but still insisted on Levy coming on the mission. Surely they weren't thinking...

The glare Sting sent Rouge, and disapproving look that Rouge was sending back to his master said enough. Stopping in his tracks he carefully stopped Levy from following the two Dragon Slayers and gave a warning growl for them to back off when they stopped as well.

"Gajeel! I thought we talked about this?!" Levy stated in a slightly annoyed voice, but he shook his head.

"I was willing to trust you around them since I figured they would protect you. But, how are they to protect you when they plan on using you as bait." Gajeel growled, narrowing his eyes on the two younger Dragon Slayers, causing Rouge to look away in shame, but Sting to stand his ground.

"This is the only way that we can get close to him. He's wanting your mate as his, and if we make it look like he wins, then we can take him down without any trouble." Sting stated, causing Gajeel to growl and shake his head. He wasn't allowing it, because there was already so many flaws that it was impossible for this plan to work.

"There is one major flaw that I can tell you right now. Levy is pregnant, and the moment he figures that out, then the plan is blown. He would attack her with the intent of harming her enough so that she would survive but the child wont." He stated, watching as Sting sighed and shook his head.

"We've thought about that Gajeel. We have figured out a way to make you look less pregnant, at least it will look that way to him. Please, trust us on this. We wont let anything bad happen to your mate." Sting stated, attempting to take a step toward them, but stopped when Gajeel growled and turned one arm into an iron sword. He shook his head, but froze when he felt Levy place a comforting hand on his arm.

"Let's at least hear the plan before we say yes or no." She stated, causing him to look at her as if she had gone insane. There was no way that she was actually thinking of going along with this, was she? Because there was no way in hell he was going to let them use her as bait in a mission that was this dangerous.

"Levy?" He warned, groaning mentally when she gave him a small pleading smile that they both knew he couldn't say 'no' to. Giving a sigh, he returned his arm back to normal and gave a faint nod.

"Fine. I'll listen to what they have to say, but if I deem it too dangerous then we're going right back to Magnolia and just wait for him to come to us." He growled, easing her back into the center of the group and allowed Rouge to continue onto the guild. All the while he was fearing for his mate's and unborn child's future, as well as his own.

Levy stared at the twin Dragon Slayers that sat before her and Gajeel, even she saw the flaws within the plan that she had just heard. Surely Sabertooth's new guild Master wasn't so dense as to realize that this plan could go up in smoke with one false step!

"Um...not to pop holes into your plan, but you do realize that the plan is flawed in quit a few places." She stated, hoping that they were just trying to tease her and Gajeel, who was sitting tense and her side. She was worried that he was going to launch at the two across from them, and wasn't so sure she would be able to stop him. Her attention returned to Sting when he leaned forward and grinned broadly.

"That's the part he wont be expecting. A plan that has that many flaws, but with they way we are going to execute it, there is no way it will fail." He stated, leaning back and threw his arms on the back of the couch and crossed his right heel on his left knee. Levy blinked when Gajeel was suddenly on his feet, towering over the suddenly tense blond dragon slayer.

"No. A flawed plan like that is doomed to fail, and that would mean Levy would get hurt. Therefore, you would get hurt." He growled, his hands clenched into tight fists. Levy swallowed and looked at the two across from them, and tried to see how it would work, but wasn't seeing a good outcome from any angle.

"Sting, this man has power similar to mine, and to Freeds. Ruins that he can control and turn into whatever he wanted them to. If he even suspects something like this, he could set up a spell that would make this plan a failure right from the start." She stated, and watched as he looked at her with bright blue eyes and a calming smile.

"No worries Levy. If there is even a chance that it looks like he knows what we're up to, one of us will be there to get you out of danger." He stated, and a growl from Gajeel drew their gazes.

"And just how are you going to do that?" He asked, and she blinked when Lector and Frosch hopped onto the table and raised their hands.

"Simple. We'll swoop in with Lily and lift her out of there before he can touch her." Lector stated, and Levy blinked. Sure, one Exceed would have trouble lifting her in her current condition, but three would be able to get her out of there quickly.

"It is still to risky." Gajeel stated, his body trembling slightly in both worry and rage. Standing, she touched his arm and gave him a smile when he looked down at her, the she turned to the other two.

"Can you let us discuss this for a moment?" She asked, watching as they both nodded, and then she motioned Gajeel to follow her to their borrowed room. Once the door was closed Gajeel turned to her and she bit her bottom lip.

"You actually want to go along with this crazy plan!?" He growled out, and she gave a faint nod as he straightened to his full height and growled low in the back of his throat. She swallowed as she recalled the one time he told her that a mate could easily overpower the other if they thought they were doing something reckless. Then remembered what the details that usually lead to the other mate to become permanently frightened of the other, because of the fights that could usually happen.

"Gajeel, I know that you are worried, but I think that this plan might have a chance. Especially since George doesn't know about the secret message the civilian wrote. Not to mention, with the three Exceeds I would be out of there in a flash if anything started to go wrong." Levy stated, watching as his red eyes narrowed and he approached her threateningly, causing her to lean against the door. She shivered as she noticed that he was being more dragon at the moment than man, and she had only dealt with this side of him once, and it had been very brief.

"Gajeel, please. Just...Just trust me. If I sense that something is wrong, I'll call for the Exceeds myself. I will keep myself safe." She stated, going wide eyed as his hands slammed onto both sides of the wall, caging her between the door and him. Growling dangerously as he stopped mere inches from her.

"Gajeel, please. You're starting to frighten me." She whispered, her hands inching toward the doorknob, but she froze when he snarled.

"You are my mate, and only I will tell you what you can and cannot do." He stated, causing her to still, before narrowing her own gaze as anger rushed through her. She put up with many things, and she would do so more with Gajeel, but she refused to be controlled like this.

"No, Gajeel. I will make my own choices, occasionally I will run them by you, like I did with this. But, in the end I will do what I think is best, and this plan is." She stated, watching as his eyes widened briefly, before he growled and raised his hands. She gasped as it swung down toward her.


	6. Chapter 6

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 6

Levy gasped as she fell backwards, and into a firm grip that quickly pulled her away from the hand that was about to slap her. She blinked when Gajeel let out a dangerous growl, and looked as she saw Sting standing in between her and her mate, while Rogue pushed her carefully behind her.

"Move." The demand from Gajeel caused a tremor to shoot down her spine, and watched as the twin Dragon Slayers each kept a respectable distance from her, but still blocked Gajeel.

"You need to calm down. To do so, we'll be giving Levy another room until you chill." Sting muttered, easing out of the room, and she blinked again as Rogue easily moved her farther into the hall.

"Um...Is this a good idea?" She whispered, admittedly she didn't want to go back there, not with him acting too protective at the moment, but knew that he wasn't just going to let his mate walk away. Surely not with another Dragon Slayer.

"It will only be for a moment. He's too worked up at the moment, and the moment he realize that you are out of sight but still safe, he should calm down." Rogue muttered, causing her to nod before resting a hand on her stomach. Giving it a small rub before giving a sigh, knowing that she should have handled the situation better than she had. She should have been able to reason with Gajeel, even though he was in a tough situation as well. But, the others had a good plan, that while it was risky it was the only thing they had for the moment.

"You wont...You wont hold this against him, will you?" Rogue suddenly asked, causing her to turn to him with a questioning look. He was looking away with a troubled expression, then sighed and met her gaze.

"A Dragon Slayer can tend to be more dragon than human at some points. One of those points is when it comes to their mates, and usually it can lead to the mate becoming frightened of them. I'm just hoping that this wont...you know." He stated, and she gave a small smile.

"No worries. He's already explained that to me, and I wont hold this against him. I'll admit, I was a little frightened, but I understand his anger. Still, the plan is the only thing we have, and we've covered all of the basics for my protection." She stated, listening as he gave a sigh of relief as he motioned to the next hallway.

"This will be your room until Gajeel calms down some. Please, make yourself comfortable." Rogue stated, causing her to thank him and give a smile. When he moved back the way that they had came, and she figured it was to help Sting get Gajeel under control. Giving a sigh as she shut the door, she looked around the room and eased onto the large bed and placed both hands on her stomach. Smiling down at the large bulge that kept her and Gajeel's unborn child safe.

"Momma really messed up on this one, didn't she honey?" She whispered, giving another sigh as she felt tears trail down her face. Moving around on the bed, she got herself situated and reached into the purse that she always carried with her. Pulled out a book, and looked at it for a moment as a sense of loneliness swamped over her. Wiping her eyes, she opened the book and started to read the first page.

Gajeel growled at the Light Dragon Slayer that stood before him, but kept his gaze on the Dark Dragon Slayer that was leading his mate away from him. He listened closely, waiting for any sign that his mate was in trouble, body tensed and ready to take down the man in front of him to get to her.

"Gajeel. You know that none of us here would harm your mate. Please, calm down and think clearly about this." Sting stated, holding his hands before him in a calming manner, but Gajeel gave a low growl so he could keep his senses on his mate. Slowly relaxing as she got further away, but nothing seemed wrong with her.

He blinked as his senses came back to him, and automatically his body tensed as he recalled what he almost done to Levy. He had nearly struck her! Merely because she was willing to give the plan a chance, and he had been to focused on all the doubt that had gathered on him. He had lost control to his dragon side, and his mate nearly paid the price for it.

"Dear Mavis. What have I done?" He muttered, raking his fingers through his hair and staring at the ground. Blinking when Sting cleared his throat and caught his attention, he stared at the man for a moment before giving a sigh.

"Thank you for interfering when you did." He stated, watching as the blond relaxed and gave a nod, only to look over his shoulder as Rogue appeared at his side.

"She's in another room right now. You alright Gajeel?" Rogue asked, and the Iron Dragon Slayer thought a moment before giving a nod. Watching as they both looked at each other before looking back to him with slight worried frowns. He knew what they were thinking, and decided to put their fears at ease by stepping farther into the room that was to have been his and Levy's, but was just his for now.

"I'll give her some space for the time being. I apologize for my actions." He stated, sitting down on the bed and looking at them both relax.

"Alright. We'll leave you to yourself for now. If you need anything, just yell." Sting stated, walking out quickly, but Rogue moved closer to the man that he had always thought of as an idol.

"I talked with her...about what just occurred. She doesn't blame you for your action.." He muttered, watching the man for a moment before he nodded and quickly took his leave. Deciding that he must want to think about his actions, and knew that he would do better alone.

Gajeel sighed as the door to his room shut, and then flopped back onto the bed. Silently cursing himself to hell and back for his loss of control. This wasn't something to take out on his mate, not just because she was willing to go with a plan that he had his doubt about. Like she said, Sting and Rogue had covered all the tactics to ensure her safety should anything go wrong. He had no right to become angry with her. And he sure as hell had no right to strike out at her!

"I really screwed up this one." He muttered, blinking when a huff was his answer, causing him to sit up quickly and stare down at Pantherlily.

"I'd say it was. I understand that you are protective of your mate Gajeel. Especially since she is also with your child, but a true mate should never think of harming the one they're suppose to protect. Regardless of how angered they are at them." Lily stated, causing him to look away and grit his teeth. He knew all of that, hell, he had just thought it basically.

"I know. That's why I'm going to give her space tonight. Still, do you think you could.." He stated, but stopped when Lily automatically headed for the door. He huffed as the Exceed left without another word, and Gajeel fell back onto the bed. Yeah...he really screwed this one up. Hopefully Levy wasn't too upset with him.

His thoughts returned to what Rogue had stated, that she didn't blame him for his actions. It was true he had explained all that he knew about Dragon Slayers to her, even about their over protection about their families. Still, that alone did not excuse what he nearly did, and he was truly thankful that Sting and Rogue had stepped in when they did. Not to mention, they did so in a way that showed his dragon side that they meant no harm, but were merely trying to assist with the situation. For a couple of young slayers, that was an outstanding feat.

"Enough of this for now. I wont get anything accomplished by just thinking about all of this. It will do everyone good if I just get some rest, calm down and deal with apologizing to Levy tomorrow. Giving one final sigh, he twisted onto his side and closed his eyes. Although, he truly felt too alone to fall asleep, and felt his chest tighten as he realized that it would be lonely for Levy as well. Meaning she would be turning to one of her books, the one thing that he had promised would stop. She didn't need to feel alone with him around, guess he was screwing up all over the place.

"Damn." He whispered into the dark, closing his eyes and remained laying still the rest of the night.

Gajeel gave a groaned as he dragged his body into a sitting position and looked at the sunlight that was slowly stretching across the room. He had hardly gotten any sleep, his worry about Levy had kept him up, and he was half tempted to lay back down so he wasn't such a bastard. Still, he knew that he wouldn't be able to go to sleep, not without her beside him. Getting off the bed, he stretched until his back and shoulders gave a satisfying pop, and then headed for the bathroom. Hoping that a nice cool shower would help him wake up.

He sighed as he stepped out of the bathroom and back into his temporary room, a towel wrapped around his waist as he used another to dry his hair. The shower had helped a little, but it felt weird to dry his hair after Levy had done it for so long now.

"Gajeel?" The soft voice came from the bed and caused him to freeze where he stood, eyes widening before raising his gaze. He swallowed as Levy gave him a small smile from the edge of the bed, Lily sitting beside her and giving him a small smile.

"Levy." He whispered, feeling guilt tightening his chest slightly, and he carefully moved closer to her. He stopped when she leaned back ever so slightly, and gave a low, soothing, growl when he sensed guilt hit her after the action. She had every right to be wary of him, but he wasn't going to let it last long.

He eased onto his knees in front of her, and the new position had him looking up slightly at her as he crawled to her knees. Carefully he wrapped his hands around her bare ankles and rested his forehead against her knees.

"Levy. I am so sorry about how I acted last night. I had no right to do that." He whispered, allowing a small shiver to run through him as she ran her hand through his thick mane of black hair.

"You explained to me that something like that might happen. I will admit, I was slightly frightened, but I don't hold it against you." She whispered, rubbing her hands over his shoulders, and he glanced up. Feeling his heart melt at her smile, and he eased onto the bed beside her.

"I also realize I probably didn't keep my promise about you reading books when you were lonely." He whispered, looking at her like a lost puppy when she giggled.

"Gajeel. Nothing last night was your fault. You've been stressed a lot lately, and I know that you are doing everything you can to protect me, and the unborn child. Like I said, I don't hold it against you." She stated, resting her head against his shoulder. He relaxed and eased his arm around her side, and shifted her until she was securely in his lap. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, and inhaled her sweet natural scent, as well as the smell of shampoo and soap.

"I thought about the mission. I believe that you are right, and that we should give it a try. Still, yell if you realize that something isn't right. The man we are up against is conniving and twisted, I don't want anything to happen to you." He whispered, causing her to smile and nod her head.

"I understand Gajeel." She whispered, tilting her head back so she could press a kiss to his cheek, then slid onto the floor and gave a smile.

"I'm going on down to get some breakfast. See you there?" She asked, causing him to nod and watch her leave. The moment the door shut behind her he gave a relieved sigh. Maybe he hadn't screwed up as much as he though.


	7. Chapter 7

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 7

Levy eased into one of the available seats within the Sabertooth guild hall, and smiled when Yukino popped out of no where and placed a tray full of food down in front of her.

"Thank you Yukino." She stated, watching as the woman gave her a smile and quickly moved to another table. Levy watched her for a moment, and blinked as she saw the woman's gaze look over to Rogue, who was already staring at the woman with a blush. She beamed as she realized that they had feelings for one another as they both tensed and looked away from one another quickly. Giving a giggle she waited until it looked like the Celestial Mage was finished checking on the others, and then waved her over.

"Is something wrong Levy?" She asked, and she shook her head before motioning her to sit down. She watched as the woman hesitated a moment, and then eased beside her. Tensing as Levy leaned toward her and gave her a pointed look.

"So. What's going on between you and Rogue?" She asked, giving a mischievous smile as the woman blushed beet red and looked at the table.

"N...Nothing." She muttered, and Levy gave a huff as she picked up a piece of bacon.

"Oh please, I just saw the look that you two shared." She teased, giggling into her hand as the woman reacted just like Lucy did whenever Levy teased her about liking Natsu.

"Oh! Please, don't tell any of the others. They'll never let me live it down. Besides, there is no way a clumsy girl like me could hold his attention." Yukino muttered, looking absolutely crestfallen and causing Levy to shake her head.

"Not from what I just saw. Rogue was looking at you like...well, like how Gajeel looks at me. I think you should go for it." She stated, watching as her eyes widened before they eased over to the Shadow Dragon Slayer, who was already looking over at them. Yukino blushed again and glanced at Levy with an unsure look. Leaning closer she smiled at the woman, and gave her a weak.

"Something tells me he wont be saying 'no.'" She whispered, watching as the woman inhaled and then exhaled to control her nerves before standing and quickly standing. She nodded to Levy, and then headed to where Rogue was sitting with Frosch, and Levy held her breath as the woman started to talk to him. Feeling giddy when he motioned for her to sit, and watched some more. Praying with everything that she had that she hadn't been wrong with her assumption of Rogue's feeling toward the Celestial Mage.

"Oi Shrimp. What are you doing?" Gajeel sounded, and she waved him to sit with an impatient gesture.

"Playing matchmaker as Mirajane usually does." She stated, sensing him tense beside her and look over her shoulder as he tried to figure out who she was matching up. Blinking when he gasped slightly when he saw Yukino and Rogue.

"Are you trying to set up Sabertooth's Celestial Mage with Rogue?" He asked, and she hummed in positive and blinked when he shifted in worry. She looked over her shoulder and blinked when she saw that he looked ready to intervene in something bad.

"Gajeel?" She whispered, and watched as he bit his bottom lip.

"One should never try to set a Dragon Slayer up with someone. It could end in disaster, especially if that someone isn't the Dragon Slayer's chosen mate." He stated, causing her to blink and look back over at the table. Blinking as she studied the two that were still talking quietly with one another. After studying them for a minute, she smiled and looked over her shoulder at him again.

"No worries. I believe with everything that I have, that Rogue wants her as a mate." She stated, smiling at him when he looked down at her in confusion.

"How the hell would you know that?" He asked, causing her to smile and motion back to the table in question. Looking over with him, she smiled as she saw Rogue smiling at the woman with a tender gaze, and holding her hand openly on the table. She was beaming with happy tears sliding down her face, and she giggled when he whispered something.

"Well I be damned. They are mates." Gajeel stated, then looked down at her, which caused her to smile and take another bite of her food.

"How did you know?" He asked, pulling his portion of food near him, just as she waved her hand and caused an Iron word to appear in front of him.

"I noticed that he was looking at her, like you look at me sometimes. A look, that she was returning." She stated, causing the Iron Dragon Slayer to laugh and shake his head while pulling her closer to him.

"Looks like Mira has some competition in the matchmaking business." He stated, causing Levy to tense and look at him with a tight smile.

"Please don't tell her. That is her self-appointed title. She might kill me if she finds out." She half joked, knowing full well that Mira wouldn't take kindly to someone taking away her matchmaking fun. Gajeel merely laughed more, and Levy looked back over to Yukino and Rogue, smiling as she saw that the Celestial Mage was now sitting beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Giggling, she turned back to her food and started to eat, feeling good for the start of the day and had a feeling that everything was going to go well with the mission in store for them.

"Alright. The spell is now in place, my fair lady." Rufus stated, giving a charming bow that had Gajeel growling. Levy smiled up at him, then inhaled before looking into the mirror and bit her bottom lip as she looked at her reflection.

"To those of us who saw the spell cast, you look the same. This, is what you look to everyone else." Sting stated, arranging the mirror so she saw. Blinking she swallowed, and placed a hand on her protruding stomach, her stomach that looked as flat as it had been before she met Gajeel. She didn't like the image she saw, but knew that it had to be done to make sure that George didn't know she was pregnant.

"I don't like the reflection." Gajeel growled, and she nodded.

"He's right. I know that it is needed, I just..." She stated, blinking when Sting and Rogue nodded.

"We understand. We merely ask you to go with it until this bastard is taken down. I promise you, the moment he is captured, Rufus will drop the spell." Sting stated, she sighed and closed her eyes. Ignoring the mirror, she looked down at her stomach and gave a small smile. The spell would keep George from being suspicious, and would keep the unborn child safe, so with another sigh, she nodded.

"Alright." She stated, watching as they all relaxed, but met Gajeel's gaze in the mirror. He didn't looked to pleased about any of it, but she knew that his thoughts were the same as hers. This was their only choice, what else could they do?

"Well. With everything settled now, lets get a move on." Orga stated, and she gave a nod, giving a shiver as Rufus lowered the spell and gave another bow.

"We will wait until we reach the neighboring town, and then I shall cast the spell that I have memorized." He stated, she gave a nod and then turned to Gajeel.

"We need to go get ready." She whispered, taking Gajeel's hand and walked side by side with him to their room. She was thankful that they had resolved last nights issue, and could sleep together without feeling lonely. Still, they first need to make sure everything was ready for their trip the next morning. It would be a three day trip until they reach the neighboring town, and then a two day hike to the town that had sent the letter.

"Levy. Are you sure you still want to go through with this?" He asked, causing her to look down and place a hand on her stomach.

"We're already this far Gajeel. We can't back out now." She whispered, looking up at him and bit her bottom lip as she saw that he wasn't looking too pleased with her answer.

"I'll stand by and support your decision, but that doesn't mean I'm going to like it. The moment I even sense that something isn't right, I'm stepping in and taking him down on the spot." He stated, causing her to smile and give a nod.

"I don't see any problem with a little back up, Gajeel. Especially when I know I don't even have to ask for it." She stated, moving closer to him as they stopped outside their door. She leaned up as he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. Then giggled when his hand easily rubbed over her stomach, and felt her heart melt when she looked up and saw him staring at her stomach with such happiness and joy. Placing her hands on both sides of his face, she gave him another kiss, and then rubbed their foreheads together.

"Everything will be fine Gajeel. I promise." She whispered, pressing another kiss onto his lips before turning and opening the door to their room. Leading him into the room and closing the door behind them as they started for the upcoming journey.


	8. Chapter 8

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 8

She had lied to him! Everything hadn't turned out alright. Everything had went wrong, right from the start! Gajeel was trembling as he stared at the destroyed village around him and the Sabertooth guild. All of it! The letter, the village, and the hidden message. It had all been a trap set up by George, and now Levy was in that man's clutches.

"How? How the hell didn't we expect this?!" He roared, glaring over his shoulder at the twin Dragon Slayers, who wisely backed away from the enraged man. Only thing was, Gajeel wasn't only mad. Sure, that was one of the emotions he was feeling, but it was only one in the mixture. Anger, self-loathing, sadness, despair, and most of all fear. Fear for his captured mate, and unborn child, both who were now in the clutches of the bastard who had nearly blown them up on first meeting.

"We still have time to look for her Gajeel. We just need you to focus." Lily stated at his side, he looked at the Exceed, but hardly saw him. His mind was still reeling from what he had just witnessed...

_The train ride to the villages' neighboring town had been decent enough. Levy, Gajeel, Sting, and Rogue had all sat in one compartment to go over the details of the plan once more. Ensuring him once again, that nothing would go wrong with the plan, and that his mate would be fine. He had merely grunted, but still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. After going over the plan, the motion sickness had finally became too much for all three Dragon Slayers, so the twins moved to different compartments._

_Levy had giggled when Rogue went to Yukino's compartment, and then had allowed Gajeel to lay his head on her lap so she could run her fingers through his hair. A trick that she had said Lucy had told her about, and that was how the others usually dealt with Natus' motion sickness. Well, that or knocking the flame brain out. It wasn't long after until they had finally arrived to their destination, and everyone had quickly got into their positions._

_It had been arranged in a way where Levy would get there just a minute before the rest of them, but in truth Gajeel had moved on ahead just in case something did go wrong. But, it hadn't been soon enough. He had been close to the village when a large explosion had went off, and from his view point he had been able to see that the backlash from the explosion had been too hard for the Exceeds to go against. Not even Patherlily's other form had enough strength to get through the explosion. Levy's shout had sounded seconds after that, and everyone had rushed forward, but all in vain. Standing in the middle of a large crater, George was grinning like a mad man, with an unconscious Levy in his hands._

_"Payback. Iron Dragon Slayer." The man had whispered, the scars on his face, from their last meeting, made his sneering smile all the more frightening for Gajeel. He had given a roar and lunged for them, but George had uncovered new magic and had disappeared even before Gajeel could get close to them. He hadn't known if it was some sort of speed boosting spell, or an actual disappearing spell. Either way, he just knew that he had lost his mate!..._

"Gajeel! Snap out of it, damnit!" Sting growled, finally grabbing his shoulders and giving him a shake. The action caused him to growl and glare at the man, who stopped and took a hasty step back.

"What are we suppose to do? None of us can track her." He growled, getting to his feet with every intention of beating the blond man for getting his mate into this mess. The man in question raised his hands, and looked around quickly, but no one was about to step between an enraged Dragon Slayer and his prey.

"There is still a possibility that she is safe. George wont hurt her right off the bat." Sting tried to reason, but Gajeel growled and took another step closer, but froze and went wide eyed. He shifted slightly to make sure that he was feeling this right, and then raised his right boot to look at the ground beneath it. Going still as he saw what he had stepped on.

"She..." He started, bending down and picking up the small iron word with a heart in the center of the 'o'. He stood quickly and started to look around, hoping that his thoughts were correct about this word.

"Look around you and see if you can find any small solid script. Levy is trying to show us the way." He stated, and soon everyone was looking around them carefully. It wasn't until a few minutes when Yukino, who had been a few yards in front of Gajeel gave a shout. He quickly moved over to the celestial mage, and took hold of the word. It was another iron, and he looked ahead of them, keeping his eyes on the ground. After a few more yards, another was found and he quickly picked up on the general direction. They had to head North.

"This isn't making any sense. The other words have been only about three yards in between one another. So one should be right here." Orga stated, and Gajeel gritted his teeth as he looked at the area the next iron word should have been. So far, they had crossed over fifteen miles of land, and now the pattern broke. So, either Levy ran out of power to leave a trail, or they trail had changed. Giving a small hum, he stood and started to pace to the left of the area, going a few feet and then looked at the ground ahead. Slightly agitated that a forest was blocking his sight, and when he turned to the other side it was the same thing. The man had followed the path up to this point, so he had to veer off one way or another. But which way?

"Gajeel. I know you are worried, but we need to set up camp for the night." Rogue stated, and he glared at the man, only to grit his teeth as Yukino moved beside him.

"We'll be no help to her if we are exhausted." She stated, and he knew that they were right. He just didn't like the idea that Levy was going to be staying a night with that man, who had no doubt probably stopped as well. Meaning that she was even in more danger. He couldn't hurt her while transporting her, but when they stopped..He cut his thinking off and started looking around.

"You guys go ahead and rest, just give me the iron pieces we've already found. If I munch on them, I'll be fine." He stated, there was no way in hell he was going to let this man get away with his mate. He waited as Sting and Rogue seemed to have a silent discussion with their gazes, and then sighed as Sting handed the iron words over.

"Just...be careful Gajeel. We'll be following right behind you once we can." He stated, Gajeel merely nodded and then focused on the directions he could go. Still unsure about which way to travel, at least until a glimmer of light caught his eye. Looking to the right, he moved toward a tree and saw that an iron word was resting in the branches. This time with a small arrow pointing in the northeast direction. Giving a smile at his mate's cleverness, he grabbed the word and quickly took off, shifting his gaze from the trees to the ground to ensure he didn't miss any words.

Rogue could only stare after the way Gajeel had headed off too, then looked over to Sting who was staring into the same direction, guilt on his face, a look he knew was reflecting on his own as well.

"It isn't your fault." Yukino stated, easing into the spot next to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. He leaned into the touch with a sigh, before looking over to Sting, who was looking slightly out of place for some reason.

"It was our idea for Levy to be the bait. Because we thought of that stupid plan, there is a good chance that Gajeel will never see his mate again." Sting stated, giving Rogue a pointed look that had him placing a hand over Yukino's and briefly tightening the hold before standing and looking into his friend's eyes.

"We know how important mates are to Dragon Slayers. So why the hell are we sitting around here?" He asked, watching as Sting smiled and got to his feet.

"We're going on ahead. The rest of you rest up, and then catch up with the rest of us." Sting stated, then gave a wave at the group as they started in the direction that Gajeel had went in.

"Looks like Gajeel isn't so far gone in worry, since he still left a trail for us to follow." Rogue stated, keeping on Sting's heels as they quickly covered ground to help Gajeel.

"Yeah. Although, this wouldn't be necessary if I hadn't thought of that stupid plan. Hell, both of them even spotted all the flaws that I just decided to ignore. I was thinking too high of myself, thinking that we could protect her." He stated, quickly turning as the marks changed directions. Expanding his senses as far as they could go to see how far they were away from the Iron Dragon Slayer, but frowned and started to slow as he sensed that they were nearly on the man's heels.

"Gajeel." He whispered, coming to a complete stop as they finally came upon the man, who was crouching and staring at the opening of a cave nearby.

"See you two caught up." Gajeel muttered, not really paying attention as the twin Dragon Slayers crouched on either side of him. They all stared at the cave where both Levy's scent and George's were coming from.

"I don't like that it is quiet." Rogue muttered, shifting before looking to Gajeel, who didn't seem to like it either.

"Last time I followed this bastard into a cave, I was nearly blown apart." He growled, looking around for any kind of a trap, and then gave a growl. To hell with this! He knew Levy was in there, he could see the small floating symbol above the cave that was pointing into it.

"Lets go, but stay on guard. This bastard has dirty tactics, and I don't want any more risks." He growled, easing to his feet and moved closer to the cave. He was getting his mate back, come hell or high water!


	9. Chapter 9

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 9

Levy glared at George, both of her arms wrapped around her protruding stomach as the man stared at her. Anger and disgust flashing in his eyes, as the sneer on his face seemed to distort in the small light and make him look more of a demon than a human.

"You have betrayed me." He whispered, causing a shiver to shoot through her and pull her body closer to her.

"You're delusional. I can't betray someone who I never had anything to do with." She stated, waving her hand in the air quickly as he approached and brought up a shield. Blinking as a large iron shield appeared, and dropped in front of her. Wincing when George quickly dissolved it with his ruins, and glared at her even harder.

"Because you slept with him, that barbarian, your magic is tainted with his. No worries my dear, I can purge that taint from you." George stated, and she gritted her teeth. She knew what was really going on, it wasn't because she had slept with Gajeel, it was because she was his mate, that she could channel some of his magic in her own.

"George. Stop this now." She whispered, holing up her hand in warning, hoping that what she was planning would actually work. She blinked when George stopped once more, but this time his glare landed on her protruding stomach.

"I can rid you of that taint as well. Then replace it with my own, wont that be wonderful?" He asked, and she knew right then that this man was truly insane. He truly thought that he was saving her from something she didn't want, and she knew that there was no getting through to him. He was in his own world, and that there was only one way to get out of this alive.

"Solid Script, Roar." She stated, swiping her hand to the side and felt hope rise in her chest as what she had hoped to happen, did happen. As the word 'roar' appear, the Iron Dragon Slayer magic from Gajeel was also channeled into the word, and transformed what would have been just a loud noise, into the Iron Dragon's Roar. It wasn't as strong as Gajeel's, but it was enough to blast George back enough for her to get to her feet and make a dash for the entrance.

She heard him give a growl, and did her best to pick up her pace, but found it a little hard since she couldn't move fast.

"You. Bitch!" The sound caused her to give a scream, and she glanced over her shoulder with wide eyes and knew that she wasn't going to make it alone. He was too close and too fast for her to escape, and she knew that she was going to get caught when he started to reach out for her.

"You're mine." He growled, and she closed her eyes and faced forward again. Only to snap her eyes open when she felt something rush by her face, and heard George give out a pained cry just as she was caught up in a tight, but careful hug.

"Hell no, bastard. She's my mate." Gajeel growled, his iron pole arm turning back to normal as Sting and Rogue surrounded them and gave low growls as George staggered to his feet. She gave a whimper of relief and tightened her hands in his shirt, hiding her face from the others as tears began to roll down her face. She was safe now, they had found her before anything terrible had happened.

"You again. Taking something that should belong to me." George growled, which in return caused Gajeel to growl. She blinked when he eased her away from him and motioned for the twin Dragon Slayers to keep close to her.

"This damn bastard is mine. You two watch over her, and make sure nothing more happens to her." He growled, straightening as he started to go into Shadow Iron Dragon Mode, she blinked when Rogue carefully took hold of one arm, and Sting the other.

"We're moving her out of here. You better win this Gajeel." Rogue stated, tugging on her arm gently and she carefully started to follow them. She watched over her shoulder as Gajeel and George squared off and bit her bottom lip.

"Gajeel. Please." She whispered, listening as he gave a soothing growl, and then fell into step with the other two. All the while hoping that Gajeel wouldn't need a shield this time, and would be able to take the man down for good.

"He'll make it. Trust me when I say that he'll be more violent toward the man since you two are actually mated this time." Sting stated, she hummed, putting a hand over her stomach and winced as a shout sounded from the cave they had just stepped out of. She looked over at Rogue when he looked back suddenly, and blinked when he rushed them further from the cave and into the woods close by.

She was about to question him why he had done that, but went wide eyed as an explosion came from the cave, causing dust and rock particles to spout out. She was about to scream for Gajeel, but was stopped when Sting and Rogue both slapped a hand over her mouth and crouched down with her. She tensed when George rushed out of the cave and started to look around. He didn't get far before a shadow figure slammed into his back, and then threw him to the side.

"You're not getting away that easily." Gajeel growled, launching at the man again, and Levy watched as George attempted to set up ruins, but Gajeel was through them in an instant and attacking the man again. His attacks were fierce and fatal, but George just kept stumbling.

"He's so far gone that pain is nothing to him." Rogue muttered, shifting his position so he could watch the fight closer. She swallowed and bit her bottom lip. People who didn't even realize pain anymore were more than just a danger, she wasn't too far off when she had thought of the man as a monster.

"Damn barbarian! You've tainted what should have been mine! Levy belongs to someone like me, only I deserve something that great! Not you! Not someone who attacked her and harmed her friends!" George yelled, and she watched as Gajeel stopped and stared at the man. Surely that still wasn't a sore subject for him?! How many times has she told him that the past didn't matter?!

"I know what I did in the past, but you're no better. You only see her as a prize, not as the person she is." Gajeel growled, his arm turning into a lethal sword. Even from where she was sitting, she could see the fear enter George eyes. She was actually grateful for the look of fear, because it meant that he knew that he wasn't going to make it out of this one. Meaning that Gajeel was going to win this, so long as George didn't find some sort of weak spot.

"If I can't have her, then no one gets her." George whispered, and a shiver shot down her spine. She watched as Gajeel froze and looked at the man for a moment.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Gajeel asked, and she went wide eyed as George gave a large smile, that turned into a sneer because of the grotesque scarring on his face.

"When I knocked her out, even in the brief moment, I put a few of my ruins on her. Around her neck, specifically, and they're ruins that you know well." George stated, causing Levy to go wide eyed and bring a hand up to her throat, wincing as she felt the heat from the ruins. A look over at Sting and Rogue told her that the ruins were now visible, meaning that they were close to being activated.

"Your mate shouldn't have stuck around, because if you don't hand her over right now. She'll be headless." He laughed, sounded truly insane.

"Damn." Sting hissed out, and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Would you be able to cancel it?" Sting asked, and she swallowed as she tried to look where the ruins were placed exactly.

"Not if I can't see them." She replied, and looked at both of them.

"Could you two explain what the ruins are?" She asked, watching as Sting winced and shook his head.

"I know nothing about these things" He muttered, and they both looked to Rogue, who gave a nod and moved closer.

"I had Rufus explain some to me one time." He muttered, and she remained still as he studied the ruins that were around her neck. Then pulled out her magical pen when he moved back with a small nod.

"This is it..." He stated, and she prepared her pen.

Gajeel growled at the man before him, he knew that magic like this required the caster to be near the spell, and so far only he knew that they were just a few feet away. He hoped that they had heard and could figure out some way to destroy the ruins before the bastard figured that they were close by.

"So, you decide that since you can't have something, you'll destroy it. And you call me the barbarian." He growled, watching as the man glared and sprung toward him, fist drawn back. Gajeel smirked and raised his fist, slamming it down onto the man's head. He also knew of another way to get rid of the ruin, and would gladly go that way if need be.

He stopped when laughter reached his ears, and looked down in time to see George use his new magic to quickly move away and look at him.

"You think I don't know that they are just a few feet from us. Poor fool. I'll give you this last chance, give her to me, or you lose her as well." He stated, raising his hand and a light to the side started to glow. He went wide eyed and looked over to the side to see Sting rushing to his side and Rogue motioning to Levy quickly, who was doing something.

"I don't think they have enough time. Kill him Gajeel." Sting roared, rushing toward him and George. Gajeel turned and launched toward George, his arm a sword and gave a thrust. Colliding with the man's chest, tearing through and he went wide eyed as the man merely smiled and dropped his hand. The area was surrounded in a bright light, and he heard Levy scream his name.


	10. Chapter 10

My Mate, Not Yours

Chapter 10

Gajeel stayed quiet as he sat in his usual spit within Fairy Tail guild hall. Natsu, Gray, Laxus, Makarov and even Sting and Rogue were sitting around him. None of them said nothing, they all knew that if they said anything all they would get in return would be a glare and a growl. It had been two months since the incident with George, who thankfully was finally through with. Although, not everything happened with ease.

"Gajeel!" Lucy shouted from the second floor railing, and the shout caused the man to shoot to his feet and practically fly up the steps and follow her.

"Lets hope that everything is fine." Gray muttered, his gaze going to the steps as most of the girls came down in an exhausted manner. Most of the men got up and met with them, trying to figure out what all had happened, but was getting nothing out of them. Giving a sigh, they all sat down and waited for any news about Levy and her condition, knowing that any news would be from Gajeel.

"How is she, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked, following Lucy as she lead him to the medical room, and blinked when she merely gave him a small smile over her shoulder. Not saying a word, she merely stopped and opened the door, and then closed it behind him before walking away.

Gajeel looked at his mate, laying down on the bed, pale and sweat dotting her brows. Moving slowly, he approached, fear clenching at his chest, and stealing away his ability to say anything. Once he was seated beside the bed, he tensed as she turned to him with a tired smile.

"Look, Gajeel." She whispered, motioning to the two small bundles that were resting in a crib beside her bed. He went wide-eyed, stood, and half stumbled over to the crib and looked at the two bundles.

"You know. You could have told me that Dragon Slayer mates tend to give natural birth a few months before normal due date." She stated, causing him to look over at her with a confused look, then back to the two small babies that were swaddled beside one another.

"They're...They're healthy?" He asked, watching as she nodded.

"Yes. completely healthy, and waiting for their names." Levy stated, causing him to lean over the crib slightly to look at them closer. One was wrapped in a pink blanket, and the other in a blue. They had twins! He had twins!

"I was thinking about Meme, for our daughter." She stated, and he nodded before looking to their son.

"Silver." He whispered, looking over to Levy to see her smiling and gave a faint nod.

"Perfect." She whispered, he eased onto the bed, leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Here it was, we nearly lost one another, twice, and now we have two beautiful twins. How is it that I deserve this?" He asked, looking down at her as she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"Because, you deserve happiness Gajeel. Now, go tell the rest of the guild before all the other guys start to worry too much." She stated, he smiled and looked back over to the crib. Standing, he carefully lifted them both into his arms, gave her one last smile, and headed out the door. He was going to show everyone that they had two new family members, and then return to his mate side.

After he had killed George, and that bright light surrounded the area, he thought he had been too late to save her. It turned out instead, that the light had merely been Levy breaking the ruins at the last second, the light merely an aftershock for a scare. It had worked though, because Levy had fainted and Gajeel had quickly rushed to her. George was dead, was no longer a threat, but he could sense that something was still wrong with Levy.

They had rushed back to the group, and then moved even quicker to get to a doctor. Then after hours of waiting and communicating with his guild on everything that had happened, the doctor had stated that she was fine to take home. Although, she would be on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, and that there would probably be a high chance that something could still go wrong with childbirth.

Looking down at the two bundles in his arms, he smiled. Thankful that everything had gone fine, and he still had his mate, and two children in his life. Sure, the guild was his family, but this right here. This was his true family, and he wasn't going to allow anything to harm their future.


End file.
